5753-ton German steamer, built 1900.
541ft x 51ft. 642hp triple-expansion engines.
Cargo:
General, Chile for Germany.
Depth:
10-20m.
Height:
Dive information:
Largest wreck on Farnes. Very broken
bow section, large anchor and chain lies at west side of reef.
Big boiler clear of jumble of wreckage at 18m. Some portholes
still to be found. Platework over wide area. Beware tides,
dive only at slack.
Other comments:
Sank 3 September, 1921, after
hitting Knivestone Rock in Farne Islands.
10,715-ton Greek cargo and container
motor vessel, built 1978. 490ft x 72ft.
Cargo:
General in holds and on deck,
dangerous chemicals in drums, London for Dar-es-Salaam.
Depth:
18m.
Height:
Dive information:
Mostly intact except for bow, which
was blown off during cargo salvage attempts. Lies on port side
on limestone seabed. Beware accidentally entering this huge
wreck when visibility is poor. Much cargo remains in sealed
containers in holds. Salvage Association acting for owners.
Other comments:
Sank 4 November,1979, when in
tow after collision with West German mv Anna Knuppel, which
holed her in Number 1 hold. All crew were
1210-ton three-masted iron sailing
ship, built 1874. 214ft x 36ft
Cargo:
General, including much pottery and
glass, London for Wellington, New Zealand
Depth:
52m
Height:
Dive information:
Upright, 4m proud, slight list to
port. Badly damaged port side near bow, which is twisted to
starboard. Collapsed stern marked by champagne bottles.
Pottery spilling from holds. Wreck found by Bingham divers in
1984. One anchors was raised and is displayed at the Avalanche
Memorial Church, with beautiful pottery recovered by divers.
Other comments:
In collision with 1488-ton Forest,
another sailing ship. Three of 97 Avalanche crew jumped to
safety on Forest, which later foundered, with nine crew saved.
Public subscriptions raised money to build church at Southwell
as memorial.
13,936-ton Cunard liner, built 1917,
used as troopship. 520ft x 65ft. Steam turbines. In ballast,
Liverpool to New York.
Cargo:
Depth:
9-26m
Height:
Dive information:
Much broken. Bow 7m proud in 26m,
stern badly smashed in 12m. Northampton BSAC found
"Silver Pit" (remains of the silver room where
liner's silver plate was stored). Care with underwater
back-swell off cliffs.
Other comments:
Sank 5 February, 1918, under tow
after torpedo from UB-67 hit port side of engine room. Eight
firemen killed. Driven ashore by gale at Caliach Point, Isle
of Mull.
7191-ton US Liberty ship, built
1943. 441ft x 57ft. Gun on stern
Cargo:
In ballast, Cherbourg for Fowey.
Depth:
Stn 48m Bow 12m
Height:
Dive information:
Bow
is a shallow dive over tangled wreckage which has twice been
dispersed by explosives. Stern is huge, lying on its starboard
side with gun still bolted to platform. Bronze prop has been
raised.
Other comments:
Sank 29 December, 1944, by
torpedo from U-772, which blew off stern. Forepart stayed
afloat but was towed into Worbarrow Bay and beached.
6941-ton single-funnel Dutch
steamer, built in Holland,1921. 418ft x 58ft. 4.7in on
stern.
Cargo:
Cargo: 3000 tons cement, 175 tons
tobacco and cigarettes, three Hawker biplanes, 30 De Havilland
Tiger Moths, spare parts for the aircraft, Army lorries and
spares, NAAFI crockery, copper ingots, rubber-soled sandals,
10 horses and nine dogs, London for Bombay.
Depth:
30m.
Height:
Dive information:
Upright, even keel. Gun removed.
Bronze propeller and copper salvaged. Explosives used in
raising condensers. Sinking into soft seabed. Bow in 24m. Five
holds silted, but some cargo can be seen - aircraft in No 1;
sandals in No 2; aircraft engines in No 3; cigarette tins in
No 4; solid bags of cement in No 5
Other comments:
Sunk 23
December, 1940, by near-misses from German Heinkel 111 bomber.
Bombs broke piping in engine room and ship flooded. Taken in
tow and beached in Ardmucknish Bay. Little salvage before
Breda slipped into deep water.
1439-ton schooner-rigged steel
steamer, built 1903. 232ft x 35ft. 106hp engine. Armed
Cargo:
1888 tons coal, Barry for Rouen.
Depth:
25m.
Height:
Dive information:
Property of Bristol Aerospace
divers, who raised 12-pounder gun and bell. Beware silt inside
and general rusting. Upright. Handrails still in position
around deck. Stands 7m proud of shingle seabed. Bow to
south-west.
Other comments:
Sank 10 August, 1918, after
collision in fog with French steamer Renee Marthe.
6878-ton "banana boat"
liner of Elder and Fyffes, built 1925. 425 ft x 55ft.
Cargo:
Depth:
30m.
Height:
Dive information:
Stands upright and well proud. Bow
plates are collapsing inward. Teak decking still to be seen.
Hull had 300 portholes, many left.
Other comments:
Sank 28 May, 1940, by magnetic mine
in Bristol Channel, in ballast, Avonmouth to Jamaica and
Colombia. Seven of 97 crew and three of 29 passengers died.
582-ton British steamer, built 1921.
165ft x 27ft.
Cargo:
In ballast, Belfast to Trevor
Depth:
15m.
Height:
Dive information:
Close to cliff, boiler and engine
clear. Iron propeller in place. Bow section partly intact
carrying spare propeller, winches, chain and anchor. Bow faces
south and stern north. Many wrasse greet divers in hope of
food being stirred up.
Other comments:
Sank 17 March, 1931, by running
aground in thick fog. Ten of 12 crew lost.
11,420-ton French
liner, 476ft x 62ft. 10,300hp turbine engines, built Newcastle
1923
Cargo:
223 crew, 29 gunners,
10 Army staff and three signallers
Depth:
32m
Height:
Dive information:
Despite some salvage
and dispersal, much wreckage stands upright 14m proud. Piles
of steel plates and girders on very large site. Most of the
200 portholes are among the tangle. Mud and sand seabed; viz
can be poor. Two-metre scour on north-east side.
Other comments:
Taken as war prize by
Royal Navy, used as troopship
Le Havre to Southampton.
6 April, 1945, when in convoy VWP 16, by a single torpedo from
U-1195 (Kapitanleutnant Ernst Cordes, who had sunk the James
Eagan Layne a few days earlier. Cordes killed with 30 of his
crew when depth charged by destroyer escort).
4332-ton British steamer intended to
win Blue Riband record Atlantic crossing, built 1874. 400ft x
43ft. 900hp compound steam engines.
Cargo:
218 passengers, 1800 tons general,
including much earthenware, Liverpool for New York.
Depth:
20m.
Height:
Dive information:
Broken in three. Boilers form
highest point. Sections of hull lean against East Mouse rock.
Winches and propshaft clear. Frames in place. Full bottles of
wine and many cups have been recovered. Plates scattered over
wide area. Beware strong bottom currents.
Other comments:
Sank 9 May,1877, when helm was
put the wrong way, sending ship onto rocks of East Mouse,
Anglesey. All saved by lifeboat.
5531-ton German light cruiser, built
1917. 510ft x 47ft. 31000hp coal/oil-fired turbines. 8 x
5.9in, 2 x 3.4in AA guns, four torpedo tubes, 200 mines, 559
crew.
Cargo:
Depth:
34m
Height:
Dive information:
Largely intact, lying on her port
side. Bow covered in growth. Anchor chains out. Foremast on
seabed. On starboard side of intact bridge is a 5.9in gun
turret, gun facing forward. Stern intact with gun turrets in
place. Condensers salvaged, leaving hole where three funnels
used to be.
Other comments:
Sank 21 June, 1919 when scuttled by
crew in Scapa Flow.
3099-ton four-masted iron steamer,
built 1874. 380ft x 38ft. 500hp engines.
Cargo:
600 tons hand-painted Belgian china
and glassware, 2533 tons of iron rails and machinery,
Middlesbrough and Antwerp for Madras.
Depth:
58m
Height:
Dive information:
Upright and 8m proud. Masts lying
across it. Large split in starboard side close to bridge is
collision damage, suggesting it was rammed by Vandalia and
not, as its captain stated, the other way round. China and
glass-ware in holds mostly broken, but some intact pieces can
be found. Viz usually good.
Other comments:
Sank 7 March, 1889 in night
collision with 1478-ton sailing ship Vandalia. All 47 crew of
Duke of Buccleugh lost.
In 1973 Plymouth Sound BSAC
found bell on top of mud blanket over wreck. Holds revealed to
contain hundreds of reindeer hides in excellent condition.
Hides are now turned into shoes, handbags, belts and other
goods to fund continuing excavation. Dived only with
permission of Ian Skelton, project leader, and Glen Peacham,
Plymouth Sound Diving Officer, on look-but-no-touch basis.
Other comments:
Sank 10 December, 1786 in
Plymouth Sound after hitting Drake's Island in southerly gale.
1337-ton Swedish steamer, built
1912. 236ft x 37ft. 175hp triple-expansion engine.
Cargo:
Steel, asbestos, nylon rope, sheet
rubber, Liverpool to Varberg, Sweden. Steel salvaged. Bronze
prop gone too
Depth:
30m.
Height:
Dive information:
Intact and upright with slight list
to starboard, covered in orange and white anemones.
Superstructure, open holds, engine room and deck-houses all
explorable. Bow towards Mull. Very popular. Dive at slack
only.
Other comments:
Sank 18 December, 1954 by hitting
Sgeir More reef in Sound of Mull during storm. Captain went
down with ship, all other crew saved.
407-ton French submarine chaser,
taken over by Royal Navy at fall of France, . 116ft x 18ft.
Armed with 75mm field gun, one 2-pounder, two 20mm Oerlikons,
four machine guns and depth charges.
Cargo:
Depth:
32m.
Height:
Dive information:
Owned by Swanage skipper Eddie
Bennet, who has raised big gun from bow. Both propellers
lifted. Lies on port side on rock and slate bed. Hull has
twist in middle. Parts of the superstructure remain, as does
much ammunition.
Other comments:
Sank 21 December, 1943, when
capsized in south-westerly gales off Anvil Point, Dorset,
while escorting submarine HMS Rorqual, Portland for
Portsmouth. Six of Free French crew of 23 saved.
14,100-ton armoured cruiser, built
1902. 529ft x 71ft. 30,557hp triple-expansion engines. Many
guns and two torpedo tubes.
Cargo:
Depth:
18m.
Height:
Dive information:
Most dived wreck off Ulster. Not a
war grave, as bodies of 19 killed in torpedo explosion were
removed before she sank. Entire hull interior is open through
holes blown during Royal Navy salvage. Beware of live
ammunition.
Other comments:
Sank 2 October, 1916, by torpedo
from German U-boat while escorting convoy off north coast of
Ireland. The captain succeeded in anchoring in Church Bay,
Rathlin Island, but Drake capsized later.
5,000-ton battleship,
built Portsmouth 1898. 430ft x 75ft. 15,000hp triple-expansion
engines.four 12in, twelve 6in, sixteen 12-pounder and six
3-pounder guns, four torpedo tubes.
Cargo:
Depth:
60m
Height:
Dive information:
Completely
upside-down, 40m proud. One propeller has been removed in
unauthorised salvage. Another has been blown off, but is
nearby and still attached to shaft. Guns can still be seen in
casemates (armoured enclosures) crushed into seabed. Big break
in hull just forward of the bridge almost cutting wreck in
half. War grave - do not enter.
Other comments:
Sunk by two torpedoes
from U-24 (Oberleutnant Rudolf Schneider) while on gunnery
exercises off Portland Bill. 547 of 780 crew lost.
14,150-ton battleship, built 1891.
380ft x 75ft. Well armed
Cargo:
Depth:
18m.
Height:
Dive information:
Upside-down with kelp covering
bottom plates 2m under surface. Rusting side plating
collapsing, leaving dodgy entrance holes. Swarming with fish.
Beware fierce currents.
Other comments:
Sank 4 November, 1914, as
blockship for southern entrance to Portland Harbour, designed
to stop U-boats entering or firing torpedoes into Channel
Fleet anchorage. Both seacocks and explosives were used to
sink her, but she rolled to port and capsized onto seabed.
1600-ton Royal Navy submarine, built
1918 as K19. 296ft x 24ft. Originally carried 12in gun (same
as M1). In 1928 gun removed, replaced with hangar to carry
folding-wing seaplane with catapult launch.
Cargo:
Depth:
30m.
Height:
Dive information:
Complete and upright. Jib of
recovery crane sticks out forward of conning tower. Hangar
door open, aircraft removed during salvage. All hatches sealed
with steel and concrete, except for conning-tower outer hatch
which is open, but inner hatch is sealed like all others. This
is a war grave, dive accordingly.
Other comments:
Sank 26 January, 1932, while
exercising off Portland, probably in attempt to surface and
launch seaplane in record time. It's believed hangar door was
opened while still under water. All 60 of crew lost.
Eleven-month salvage operation, headed by Ernest Cox of Scapa
Flow fame, failed to raise her.
277-ton trawler, built for Royal
Navy as George Corten in 1918. Became commercial fishing
trawler 1921 as Zencon. Requisitioned as Naval minesweeper
1939. 125ft x 25ft.
Cargo:
Depth:
26m.
Height:
Dive information:
Upright, slight list starboard.
Sanded to gunwales. 12-pounder gun and shells on foredeck.
Derrick on bow with sweep wire. Remains of twin machine guns
on port side towards the stern.
Other comments:
Sank 2 December, 1944, in heavy
weather when under tow after engine failure.
613-ton Royal Navy patrol boat,
built 1915. 244ft x 23ft. 3500hp twin steam turbines. Armed.
Cargo:
Depth:
22m.
Height:
Dive information:
This is stern section (bow beached
Whitecliff Bay). Long, narrow, upright and intact. Depth
charges on stern. Throwing arms cocked and loaded. Turbines
clear.
Other comments:
Sank while on patrol from Portsmouth,
on 4 November, 1918, after being cut in half in collision.
9600-ton merchantman, converted to
minelayer, built 1940. 498ft x 68ft. Armed
Cargo:
550 sea mines and 6000 rounds
ammunition for 10 AA guns aboard.
Depth:
21m.
Height:
Dive information:
Lies on starboard side about 300m
from shore. Largely intact. Deck planking still in place as
are many guns. Much of hull open to daylight through removal
of portside plating during Navy mine salvage. At stern four
minelaying doors provide diver exits. Needs more than one dive
to explore this big ship.
Other comments:
Sank 27 November, 1940, after fire
broke out during mine-loading at Kyle of Lochalsh. Towed into
Loch Alsh where sank after explosion (not of mines, which were
salvaged by RN divers in 1950).
3885-ton British steamer, built
1910. 350ft x 50ft. Armed. 353hp triple-expansion engines
Cargo:
In ballast, Le Havre for Cardiff.
Depth:
48m.
Height:
Dive information:
Upside-down, bow cracked open, 12m
proud. Bow damage caused by torpedoes, otherwise intact and
remarkably well preserved. Beware fishing nets.
Other comments:
Sank 15 September,1918, by two
torpedoes from UB-103 commanded by Kapitanleutnant Paul
Hundius, while at periscope depth four miles off Berry Head.
Sank immediately with all 18 crew.
5531-ton German light cruiser, built
Hamburg 1916. 510ft x 46ft. 48,708hp steam
turbines. eight 5.9in guns in turrets, two 3.4in guns,
four torpedo tubes.
Cargo:
Depth:
35m.
Height:
Dive information:
Lying on starboard side, mostly
intact. Propellers and one anchor lifted. Some explosive
salvage in engine room near stern. Fire control tower is ahead
of bridge. Top of one portside gun in turret nearby is highest
point at 20m. Stern gun in good condition and turret points
dead astern. Some entry holes at bow and stern need great
care. Beware disturbing internal silt.
Other comments:
one of 52 warships of the German
Imperial Navy High Seas Fleet successfully scuttled by their
crews in Scapa Flow (45 later raised).
25,388-ton German battleship, built
Kiel, 1914. 575ft x 97ft. 46,200hp turbines. ten 12in,
fourteen 5.9in, two 3.45in guns, five torpedo tubes
Cargo:
Depth:
38m
Height:
Dive information:
Upside-down, least depth to top of
hull 12m, but port side clear of silty bottom. Explored via
main deck below vessel. Huge guns. Holes made in hull at
engine room, boiler room and torpedo rooms during salvage.
Massive warship needs several dives to explore. They don't
come much bigger.
Other comments:
Sunk 21 June, 1919, in Scapa Flow
scuttle of German fleet. Seacocks and valves opened, then
smashed. Turned turtle three hours after scuttle order given.
6953-ton Australian steamer used as
casualty-clearing ship, . 415ft x 52ft 770hp triple-expansion
engines. 4.7in guns on stern.
Cargo:
2600 tons general and Australian
mails, plus hospital supplies and medical staff, Tilbury for
Sydney, Australia, via Devonport to embark 1,000 Australian
wounded.
Depth:
30m.
Height:
Dive information:
Stands 18m proud of rocky seabed,
and is most dived wreck in Dorset. Many brass fittings. Holds
still contain perfume, red wine, champagne, stout, vinegar
bottles, sticks of red sealing wax, bales of cloth, rolls of
lino, medical supplies. Recent finds include silver purses,
men's pocket watches, ladies' gold watches. Dive at slack;
beware strong tides.
Other comments:
Sank 26 May, 1918 by torpedo
portside amidships from UB-57 (Oberleutnant Johann Lohs). Six
crew killed.
2702-ton Elder Dempster steamer,
built 1891. 328ft x 39ft. 253hp triple-expansion engines.
Cargo:
Hundreds of cases of gin, rum,
champagne and barrels of gunpowder. Hamburg to West Africa.
Tales of thousands of newly minted shillings aboard not borne
out by manifest.
Depth:
20m
Height:
Dive information:
Upright and 7m proud. Sweeping and
collision damage have exposed engines. Bell recovered. Bottles
everywhere, but contents undrinkable. Very popular Kent site.
Local divers Paul Wilkinson, Peter Lee and Mick Lucas own
salvage rights.
Other comments:
Sunk on 31 May, 1908, after being
badly damaged on port side near engine room in collision with
Russian steamer Junona. Sank under tow of Dover tugs.
1277-ton fully-rigged iron sailing
ship, built 1877. 225ft x 36ft.
Cargo:
7000 cases of whisky, bottled beer,
general. Brick ballast. Glasgow for Adelaide.
Depth:
10m.
Height:
Dive information:
Very broken in kelp 20m from
southern end of island. Some sections surprisingly large,
decking still visible. Bricks all over bottom bear Glasgow
manufacturer's name. "Whisky galore" on shore for
locals and little of cargo recovered by Customs. Divers often
find full, but undrinkable, bottles of whisky under sand
patches. Good novice dive. Contact Milford Haven Port
Authority before diving.
Other comments:
Sank 30 January 1894, ran ashore on
Thorn Island while seeking shelter from gale in Milford Haven.
Heroic rescue of all 33 aboard by Angle lifeboat.
2366-ton US tank-landing ship, built
1943. 328ft x 50ft
Cargo:
16 Army trucks and landing craft on
deck; 22 amphibious DUKWs in hold
Depth:
50m.
Height:
Dive information:
Bow almost completely capsized with
entry ramp open to west. Stern lies 200m to south-east
upside-down, showing twin four-bladed props and beach-landing
skegs. Poking out from under stern is a crushed infantry
landing craft. This is a war grave, so dive accordingly.
Other comments:
Sank 28 April, 1944, when taking
part in Slapton Sands "Exercise Tiger" practice for
Normandy invasion landing on Utah Beach. Torpedoed by 40-knot
German E-boats based in Cherbourg, 202 US servicemen killed.
Total US casualties in Exercise Tiger: 638.
450-ton Dutch coaster, built 1964.
168ft x 28ft. 360hp oil engines.
Cargo:
Calcium carbide, Barry from Norway
Depth:
38m.
Height:
Dive information:
Intact, most-dived wreck in Wales.
Only rubble in holds, but stern cabins, wheelhouse and engine
room all worth inspection. Take care - there is silting and
some bulkheads show signs of collapse.
Other comments:
Sank 14 February, 1967 by hitting
Cable Rock in Jack Sound, Skomer Island, then drifting with
rising tide and finally sinking near North Haven in Skomer
Marine Reserve.
3616-ton cargo steamer, built 1905.
375ft x 46ft. 3600hp triple-expansion engine, 4.7in gun on
stern
Cargo:
500 tons chalk, 50 tons general,
London for Philadelphia
Depth:
37m
Height:
Dive information:
Upright on even keel on shingle. 15m
proud. Most popular dive in Devon. Remains of superstructure
to starboard. Most broken on port side near bow. Bronze
propeller and iron spare salvaged by Torbay BSAC, which bought
wreck for £100 in 1962. Gun gone, bell recovered 1987. Recent
deterioration of counterstern.
Other comments:
Sunk by torpedo from bow tube
of UC-17 (Oberleutnant Ralph Wenninger) striking port side
level with No 2 hold. Despite tow, sank one mile from Bolt
Head.
1244-ton iron-screw
steamer-schooner, built 1879. 254ft x 31ft. Armed.
Cargo:
General, London for Leith.
Depth:
25m.
Height:
Dive information:
U-boat lies at right angles to
steamer and her bow enters the Malvina's broken wreckage by
the engines, which are tilted over behind two boilers.
Submarine identified by number engraved on prop. Beware strong
tidal currents.
Other comments:
Sank 3 August, 1918, by torpedo from
UB-104 when 1 mile from Flamborough Head. Fourteen lost.
1333-ton Greek motor vessel, built
1947. 263ft x 40ft
Cargo:
In ballast, Bergen to Glasgow.
Depth:
26-50m.
Height:
Dive information:
Down rock gully tight to Stack
Skerry. At 26m remains of bridge, midships and some engine
room parts. Huge mast leads to bow at 43m. Stern with
stainless steel prop at 50m.
Other comments:
Sank 8 April, 1968, ran aground in
storm on solitary rock of Stack Skerry, 30 miles off Orkney,
badly smashed, slipped off and sank. Nine of 14 crew died.
6889-ton four-masted liner, built
1897as Cleopatra. 482ft x 52ft. 894hp triple-expansion
engines.
Cargo:
1280 tons general, including 3000
slabs of tin, spirits, beer, linoleum, prunes, matches,
cheese, nutmeg, preserves, jute, rice, books, coffee, toys,
lard, pepper, tobacco, bacon, horse hair, furniture, lace,
church ornaments. 53 passengers, 103 crew, London for New York
Depth:
26m
Height:
Dive information:
Boilers at deepest part. Bow
shallower at 23m. Hull collapsed, leaving ribs and shallow
compartments, but items still being found. Dive only at slack;
strong tides.
Other comments:
Sank 14 October, 1898 by striking
Manacle Rocks (first Vase, then Voices) when steering wrong
course after passing the Eddystone.
1150-ton Post Office cable-laying
steamer, built 1915, requisitioned by Admiralty in 1939. Third
cable-layer to be called Monarch. 235ft x 33ft.
Cargo:
Depth:
30m.
Height:
Dive information:
Owned by BT divers Alan and Fiona
Beaumont (given to them as a wedding present). Upright, but
very broken, draped in marine cable. Giant cable-laying
rollers a major feature at bows.
Other comments:
Sank 16 April, 1945, by torpedo in
starboard side from U-2324 (Kapitanleutnant Konstantin von
Rapprad) while returning to Felixstowe from repairing
Suffolk-Holland cable. Two crew lost.
4892-ton British cargo steamer,
built 1891. 400ft x 45ft. 582hp triple-expansion engines.
Cargo:
General, London from Middlesbrough.
Depth:
32m.
Height:
Dive information:
In one piece,upright, bow and stern
intact. Sides collapsing in places. Holds open. Boilers and
engines clear from top. Winches in position. Four anchors on
decks. Masts lying crosswise. Beware silt.
Other comments:
Sank 21 July, 1918, by torpedo from
UC-70. 36 of crew lost.
3399-ton British steamer, built
1899. 330ft x 48ft. 293hp triple-expansion engines
Cargo:
Iron ore, Bilbao to Middlesbrough.
Depth:
28-44m.
Height:
Dive information:
Lies on starboard side, bow down
steep sandbank, stern towards shore. Stern rails at 28m near
cast-iron propeller. Major break near mast at 32m. Bow section
separated and deeper at 43m. Sanded up amidships. Good for
marine life.
Other comments:
Sank 8 September, 1917, back broken
when hit German minefield. Twenty of crew of 29 killed.
18,673-ton five-deck trans-Atlantic
passenger liner, able to carry 860 passengers and 310 crew,
built 1938. Oil engines. 590ft x 73ft.
Cargo:
In ballast after refit as
troopship, Liverpool to Newcastle.
Depth:
15m.
Height:
Dive information:
Largest shipwreck on East coast.
Huge amount of broken wreckage on sand seabed. Bow section
points seaward. Four diesel engines clear after inward
collapse. Pewter, crested pottery, silver salvers and brass
portholes often found. Wreckage of 5317-ton Greek steamer
Eugenia Chandris lies in contact near engine room after she
struck Oslofjord wreck on 15 March, 1943.
Other comments:
Sank 1 December, 1940, when back
broken by German acoustic mine, beached close to Tynemouth.
1062-ton US Navy submarine, formerly
S-24, built 1922. 219ft x 21ft. Armed with four 21in bow
torpedo tubes, 12 torpedoes and one 3in AA gun. Lease-lend to
Royal Navy 1942.
Cargo:
Depth:
39m.
Height:
Dive information:
Upright and complete, 6m proud. Bow
to east. Gun in place.
Other comments:
Sank 25 August, 1947 by Royal
Navy as ASDIC target after US Navy decided it did not want her
returned.
5382-ton Belgian steamer, formerly
War Buffalo, built 1918. 400ft x 52ft. 517hp triple-expansion
engines. Armed with 4.7in gun on stern, two 20mm Oerlikons
amidships
Cargo:
Powdered egg, tinned meat, baby food
and soap for starving Belgians, Cardiff for Antwerp
Depth:
28m.
Height:
Dive information:
Owned by Plymouth Sound BSAC. Bronze
propeller and guns salvaged. Bow 10m proud. Lies on port side.
Very broken amidships. Collapsed inwards. Three boilers clear
near 2.5m anchor.
Other comments:
Sank 11 February, 1945, by torpedo
from UB-1017. 20 crew lost. Didn't sink immediately, and
propeller cut two packed lifeboats in half.
14,294-ton twin-screw Polish liner
converted by Admiralty to troopship at start of WWII,
526ft x 70ft. 2516hp diesel engines. Armed: AA guns.
Cargo:
In ballast, Tyne for Australia.
Depth:
33m
Height:
Dive information:
Biggest Yorkshire wreck. Bow section
9m proud, broken off and listing 45¡ to port. Embossed
letters of name on starboard side. Three decks to explore -
with care. Stern upright, but more broken, 5m proud. Both
props buried in shingle. Beware very strong currents on seabed
and overfalls above.
Other comments:
Sank 26 November, 1939 after
striking German mine 25 miles off Withernsea. 10 crew lost.
2869-ton British steamer, 314ft x 40ft. 256hp triple expansion engines
Cargo:
4100 tons maize, Rosario to Dublin,
via Falmouth
Depth:
33m.
Height:
Dive information:
Plympton upside-down under Hathor,
which lies crosswise. Hathor boilers clear at 25m. Plympton
bows towards shore. Wreckage very tangled.
Other comments:
Sank 14 August, 1909, by running on
to Lethegus Rocks, St Agnes, Isles of Scilly in thick fog.
Capsized later and sank, drowning two islanders engaged in
salvage.
3382-ton Hamburg-Amerika Line
steamer, built 1873. 360ft x 40ft. 600hp two-cylinder engines.
Cargo:
General, 109 passengers, New York
for Hamburg via Plymouth.
Depth:
25m.
Height:
Dive information:
Highly rated. Lies on port side,
bows to the east. Well broken but parts of deck intact. Some
gold and silver coins recovered recently from passenger
accommodation. Many clock mechanisms in boxes in holds.
Other comments:
Sank 25 November, 1878, by collision
with iron-hulled barque Moel Eilian off Folkestone. Four out
of nine lifeboats destroyed in collision. Forty-eight drowned.
4241-ton schooner-rigged Canadian
steamer (formerly Grecian Monarch), built 1882. 381ft x 44ft.
316hp triple-expansion engines. 3in gun.
Cargo:
Government stores, including 16
hardhat divers' helmets, London to St Johns, New Brunswick.
Depth:
33m.
Height:
Dive information:
Heavy list to starboard on rock and
sand seabed. Some continuing collapse of central section.
Torpedo damage gave access for recovery of two diving helmets,
but one lost while lifting. Other 14 helmets await lucky
divers. Bell recovered.
Other comments:
Sank 15 April, 1918 by torpedo
in port bow from UC-77 (Oberleutnant Johannes Ries). One
survivor from crew of 56.
11,140-ton New Zealand Shipping
Company triple-screw three-deck liner, built 1910. 484ft x
62ft. Armed: 4.7in on stern.
Cargo:
5600 tons general New Zealand goods,
Wellington via Newport News for London, 238 passengers
Depth:
55m.
Height:
11m
Dive information:
11m proud, upright, slight list to
port, intact fore and aft. Much collapsed amidships and around
engine room, which leaves six-cylinder steam engines showing
well clear. Bell recovered.
Other comments:
Sank 22 March, 1917, by torpedo from
UC-17. One crew-member killed.
4238-ton steamer, built 1907.
Originally Saint Rene, then Headley. 364ft x 50ft. 408hp
triple-expansion engines. Armed
Cargo:
Coal, Tyne to Falmouth.
Depth:
33m.
Height:
Dive information:
Intact, upright. Stern section 10m
proud, lists to starboard. Midships broken from torpedo
damage. Propeller recovered, but cast-iron spare still on
deck.
Other comments:
Sank 23 October, 1917, by torpedo
from UB-57. Five lost.
6809-ton passenger-cargo steamer,
built 1930. 459ft x 61ft. Armed with 12-pounder on stern.
Cargo:
9000 tons cosmetics, horses,
bicycles, toy lead soldiers, mercury, medical supplies, jeeps
and tyres, Chinese coins, London for Hong Kong, via Firth of
Forth for convoy assembly.
Depth:
28m.
Height:
Dive information:
Upright. Extensively salvaged. Stern
gun in place. Cargo, particularly bicycles, in clear view.
Many bottles. Some coins, but most carried onto nearby
beaches. Dive at slack. Beware of strong spring tide currents.
Other comments:
Sank 27 March, 1941, two days after
being bombed by Heinkel 111 and set on fire. Exploded while
under tow. No casualties.
1685-ton Panamanian steel steamship,
built 1951. 248ft x 38ft.
Cargo:
Timber, Archangel for Limerick.
Depth:
20m.
Height:
Dive information:
Almost intact, lying on starboard
side. Masts and funnel on seabed beside her lie towards shore.
Some timber still in holds. Highest point 10m proud of flat
sand. Well dived.
Other comments:
Sank 19 July, 1966, four days after
running ashore on Renish Point, South Harris, and being towed
by lifeboat into Rodel Bay.
4008-ton British steamer, built
1906. 350ft x 51ft. 316hp triple-expansion engines.
Cargo:
Coal, Cardiff for Cape Town
Depth:
20m.
Height:
Dive information:
Ribs stand proud, outlining wreck.
Collapsed inwards. Big boilers and engine room machinery
exposed. Deep scour round entire stern section. Beware hooks,
lines and grapnels - much loved by anglers.
Other comments:
Sank 3 December, 1909, by foundering
in Bristol Channel off Clovelly in gale; 23 out of 30 crew
lost.
61,263-ton Liberian supertanker,
"Jumbo-ised" in Japan, 1965, length increased from
809ft to 974ft which made it largest tanker in world.
Cargo:
119,328 tons crude oil, Kuwait to
Milford Haven
Depth:
3-30m.
Height:
Dive information:
Very broken wreck is spread over
much of the square mile of reef. Bow section lies to the
north-west of Pollard Rock in a deep gully in the granite;
stern well to the south. Much growth. Beware unexploded bombs
and rockets and a big swell.
Other comments:
Sank 18 March, 1967,
navigational error of ship's master, striking Pollard Rock,
Seven Stones Reef, between Land's End and Isles of Scilly, at
17 knots. Refloat attempts failed, then back was broken in
storm. Oil fouled beaches of Cornwall and Devon.
1218-ton British steamer, built
1899. 250ft x 35ft.
Cargo:
General, London for Belfast
Depth:
25m.
Height:
Dive information:
Bow broken from main wreckage by
mine explosion on starboard side forward of bridge. Bow 10m
clear of main wreckage, up-ended pointing towards surface, 8m
proud. Beware unstable debris in break. The owners welcome
divers, but not trophy-hunters.
Other comments:
Sank 31 October, 1915, by hitting
mine in field laid by UC-6 off the Downs, north-east of Dover.
One of four ships sunk in same field within four hours.
649-ton German UBIII class
submarine, built 1917. 181ft x 19ft.
Cargo:
Depth:
Height:
Dive information:
U-boat lies at right angles to
steamer and her bow enters the Malvina's broken wreckage by
the engines, which are tilted over behind two boilers.
Submarine identified by number engraved on prop. Beware strong
tidal currents.
Other comments:
Believed destroyed by depth-charging
of armed yacht and trawlers on 27 July, 1918, off Scarborough,
but found entangled with wreck of Malvina by divers in 1985.
1724-ton British steamer, built
1883. 259ft x 36ft.
Cargo:
General, including chloride (on deck
in stone jars), glassware, coal, spirits, beer, building
materials, Glasgow for Trinidad.
Depth:
34m.
Height:
Dive information:
Upright and intact. Settled into mud
seabed. Popular with Clyde divers, despite often low viz.
Collision damage to be seen on starboard bow. Masts and
derricks lie across holds crammed with bottles. Engine room
can be visited via funnel hole. Take a big torch!
Other comments:
Sank 29 September, 1895, by
collision in fog with Norwegian steamer Flos. All saved.
